Sec. 511.008. DIRECTOR; STAFF. (a) The commission shall employ an executive director who is the chief executive officer of the commission and who serves at the will of the commission. The executive director is subject to the policy direction of the commission.

(b) The executive director may employ personnel as necessary to enforce and administer this chapter.

(c) The executive director and employees are entitled to compensation and expenses as provided by legislative appropriation.

(d) The commission shall provide to its members and employees, as often as necessary, information regarding their qualifications for office or employment under this chapter and their responsibilities under applicable laws relating to standards of conduct for state officers or employees.

(e) The commission shall develop and implement policies that clearly separate the policymaking responsibilities of the commission and the management responsibilities of the executive director and the staff of the commission.

(f) The executive director or the executive director's designee shall develop an intraagency career ladder program. The program shall require intraagency postings of all nonentry level positions concurrently with any public posting.

(g) The executive director or the executive director's designee shall develop a system of annual performance evaluations. All merit pay for commission employees must be based on the system established under this subsection.

(h) The executive director or the executive director's designee shall prepare and maintain a written policy statement to assure implementation of a program of equal employment opportunity under which all personnel transactions are made without regard to race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin. The policy statement must include:

(1) personnel policies, including policies relating to recruitment, evaluation, selection, appointment, training, and promotion of personnel, that are in compliance with Chapter 21, Labor Code;

(2) a comprehensive analysis of the commission work force that meets federal and state laws, rules, regulations, and instructions directly adopted under those laws, rules, or regulations;

(3) procedures by which a determination can be made about the extent of underuse in the commission work force of all persons for whom federal or state laws, rules, regulations, and instructions directly adopted under those laws, rules, or regulations encourage a more equitable balance; and

(4) reasonable methods to appropriately address those areas of underuse.

(i) A policy statement prepared under Subsection (h) must cover an annual period, be updated at least annually and reviewed by the Commission on Human Rights for compliance with Subsection (h)(1), and be filed with the governor's office.

(j) The governor's office shall deliver a biennial report to the legislature based on the information received under Subsection (i). The report may be made separately or as a part of other biennial reports made to the legislature.

Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 212, Sec. 2.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 740, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 259, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Amended by:

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1215 (S.B. 1009), Sec. 7, eff. September 1, 2009.